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Unquestionable Love	By : CRMediaGal Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 3380 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me. No money/profit is made from this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
A/N: I never thought writing Quidditch would be much fun, as much as I enjoy reading it in the books; however, this was quite exciting to write. I hope you find it gripping.

Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Brittny.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me.

Chapter 18: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor

Severus paced the dungeons anxiously, his demeanor displaying an angst that he did not often show. Should he go upstairs and search the school grounds for her? Should he put his desires to rest and just seek her out instead?

Don't be ridiculous, Severus! he berated himself, running his fingers through his black locks and letting out a disgruntled growl. She'll be here any moment. She told you she would be here. Control yourself!

They still had an hour before the Quidditch match started. Lily and Surina had already made their individual rounds to see their father before heading to the stadium to get ready for the game. Unfortunately, Hailey had not made an appearance yet, and Severus quickly gathered that his daughter would, regrettably, not show up beforehand.

Slow progress, he reminded himself, as he continued to stalk back and forth. Awfully slow progress...

Severus strutted to-and-fro for several more agonizing minutes, his dramatic robes rippling behind him, when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. He stopped and stared at the open doorway, waiting with breathless anticipation.

Then a woman's sensual figure stepped into the threshold—Hermione—and Severus's eyes fluttered a few times, taking her in. She seemed to be doing the same, her beautiful irises fixated on every part of the mysterious man, her gaze never turning away for a second. She walked towards him, but the movement was far too slow for Severus. He sauntered towards her as well and when they met in the middle, they did not hesitate and immediately threw their arms around the other, their silhouettes latched in a tight, loving embrace as the minutes ticked by in a serene silence.

"Severus..." Hermione whispered into his ear, her nose nuzzling his pallid cheek.

"I'm so glad you're here," he sighed with relief, wrapping his arms more securely around the smallness of her back, desperate to prolong their embrace.

Hermione's face drew back and she delicately moved a few straggled hairs out of his eyes, a simple gesture she enjoyed doing, and stared at her man in black with an unmistakable longing. She gradually leaned in to receive Severus's lips, savoring the pleasure of his mouth moving in rhythm with hers, the gentleness of his tongue gliding inside her mouth. How she missed the mere taste of him, the softness of his lips, the small delights that were cruelly kept from her on a regular basis...

Awhile later, they both pulled away reluctantly, surveying each other's familiar face, relieved to be in the other's arms. Severus laid his forehead against Hermione's, gazing at her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. She missed that roguish look, that deep, insatiable lust.

"Where's Jeannie?" he inquired with a low purr.

"With Hailey," she whispered, moving her hands up and around his neck to run her fingers through the back of his hair. Her caress was relaxing, and the Potion Master let out a prolonged sigh. "I ran into her on the way here. She was talking to Harry and Ginny, so I let the girls go on ahead to the stadium with them."

"Hmmm," Severus murmured, a wry smile forming on his mouth. "So we're alone then?"

Hermione returned her husband's wicked expression, her alluring lips parting into an impish grin. "Yes, sweetheart. Completely alone..."

The Snapes made their way down to the stadium together, their hands intertwined and their bodies close to each other. They said hello to a few passersby as they progressed ever closer to the Quidditch pitch. The sheer joy Hermione had experienced just a short time ago back in Severus's chambers died away as they reached the outer walls, and her mind wondered to Lily and Surina within.

They better not play dirty, she reflected, worry marring her brow.

"Come on," Severus encouraged, sensing his wife's growing anxiety.

He guided her into the stadium and up the wooden steps, making a few swift turns along the way. They emerged into one of the many spectator sections, far away from the teachers' box where Severus normally would have sat, and advanced up a steep incline of benches. Hermione clasped her hand tighter to her husband's as they rose higher and higher, and she soon spotted Harry and Ginny seated with Ron and Lavender. Lily Potter and Jeannie were wedged between Harry and Ginny, soaking in the spectacle of students on brooms just as they were rising into the air.

Severus did not seem to be looking for them, so Hermione prodded him, motioning towards their friends, and an eruption of waves emerged. Jeannie sprung out of her seat and hopped up and down, squealing loudly for Severus with her sable curls bouncing excitedly. She had on a black coat with pink ribbons offsetting her side ponytails.

"Daddy! Daddy! Over here! Look, Surina! Lily!"

Hermione and Severus tread to the empty end of the bench, allowing Jeannie to hop over and take a seat on her father's lap. She wrapped an arm around his neck as Hermione turned to Ginny and Harry, giving each of them a warm hug as she had earlier that morning.

Ron and Lavender, however, only eyed the unconventional couple in a strange fashion that did not escape Hermione's attention. "Hi, Ron, Lavender," she offered, observing them curiously, waiting to see if either would rise to give her a hug, but they did not.

Lavender forced a smile to the Snapes before turning away, and Ron only gave Hermione a meek grin. He addressed Severus with a nod of his ginger head before grunting and shifting awkwardly.

Hermione hesitated, not sure what to do, but then took a seat next to her husband and Ginny, choosing quickly to ignore the pair of them. There was an angry heat rising in her chest that she tried to subdue.

Severus exchanged more courteous nods with Harry and Ginny, who both smiled at the professor pleasantly, unfazed as Ron and Lavender supposedly were, but Severus did not seem to care either way. Lily Potter made her way around her parents and hugged Hermione, then turned to Severus, hesitant to move. There was something about the dreary looking man that made her nervous, although his dark eyes were always quite kind to her, despite their blackness. They did not match the rest of his rather foreboding appearance.

"How are you, Lily?" Severus asked, inching closer to her with Jeannie in his lap.

"Good, Uncle Severus." Her cheeks flushed red as she stumbled to get her words out, peering up at him sheepishly. "May I hug you, sir?"

"Of course you can, Lily!" Ginny piped up, reaching over Hermione and pushing her daughter encouragingly. "I'm sorry, Severus. I don't know what's gotten into her."

"It's quite all right," Severus replied dryly. "It's been awhile since she's seen me."

He turned his gaze back to the youngest Potter and opened an arm to her. She shot him a sweet smile, and a flash of Lily Evans danced across her face, stealing Severus's breath away. The little girl with long, ginger hair wrapped her dainty arms around him as Harry and Ginny watched with interest. It was a sight that still took some getting used to, even now, but it was both touching and heartwarming, nonetheless.

"Where's Hailey? And Albus and Hugo?" Hermione asked, though she was fairly certain she already knew the answer.

Harry chuckled and adjusted his round glasses. "We aren't hip enough for them, I'm afraid. They lasted about two seconds over here. They're now over in the student section."

Everyone laughed except for Severus, who merely smirked and kept his mouth shut. He had secretly hoped Hailey might sit with them for a change—perhaps giving them all time to talk at some point—but suspected she would not stay. He prayed that there might be time for that before the weekend was out.

Lily Potter resettled herself between her parents and everyone turned their attention to the Quidditch match, which was just getting started. Hermione and Severus spotted their daughters high in the air.

Lily was stationed at the goal posts on the far right end of the field, her stance strong and slightly inclined on her broom. Her expression was too far away to read, but there was an undeniable determination in her demeanor as she stared firmly ahead, not searching for her family or any familiar faces as she so often did in past games. Many in the Gryffindor section were calling her name. James Potter was propped on his broom several feet ahead of her near the center of the field, surrounded by the other Gryffindor players.

On the opposite side, the Slytherin team gathered, with a striking member at its front and center. She was situated between two other Chasers and had long, shimmering sable hair that radiated against the sunlight peeking through the clouds, breaking the overcast sky. It was Surina, and voices in the Slytherin section chanted her name while waving their flags, much to Severus and Hermione's amusement. Her eyes were narrowed, resolute, her lips clasped shut as she examined the Gryffindors on the opposite end. She did not look for her older sister; she would see her soon enough once she took possession of the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch stepped onto the center of the field, her yellow eyes staring up at the players with suspicion, and she released the Bludgers and Golden Snitch from a box at her feet. The Bludgers instantly shot into the air, nearly hitting a Gryffindor Chaser in the face, and the Golden Snitch disappeared from view. The grey-haired witch took the Quaffle in her hand and pursed her mouth into a tight, thin grimace.

"No dirty tricks, is that understood? You will all play by the rules or you're out!"

Not waiting for any team player to respond, she huffed and threw the Quaffle into the air, which immediately caused the scene to erupt into sheer chaos. Brooms flew every which way, and the three Chasers from each team, including Surina and James, dashed for the Quaffle hovering momentarily in the air.

Carson Wolfe, a sixth year Slytherin Chaser, reached it first and snatched it under his arm, Surina close at his heel. James, however, promptly flew up beside him and advanced in front to block him off. Carson made an underpass throw to Surina, who caught the ball with ease and quickened her pace towards the goal post.

Lily was waiting, her grip firm on her broom, and her eyes darted between the green and black colors flying like arrows towards her, with Surina at the head. James and two other Gryffindor Chasers glided in between them, halting their speed and reaching for Surina as she bobbed up and down, darting this way and that to avoid them. For her first game, she was already proving a natural, never losing her concentration on the goal posts as so many first-time Chasers did.

Lily braced herself as Surina drew back to throw. The eldest Snape moved her broom ever so slightly to the left, examining the angle from which Surina was about to throw, but then James swiftly snatched the Quaffle out of her hand and the moment was over. He and his teammates spun around and headed in the opposite direction, followed closely by the Slytherins.

There was no time for the sisters to exchange looks, but their tense body language told Severus and Hermione everything. This was no friendly sort of sibling rivalry. The competition between them could cut the air like a knife, and Hermione reached instinctively for Severus's hand, bracing herself for whatever happened next. Severus simply tightened his grip as a manner of reassurance.

Surina caught up with one of the other Gryffindor Chasers who now held possession of the Quaffle, reached out, and pushed it out of the girl's hand. It dropped down to the third Slytherin Chaser just off to her left, and everyone whirled their brooms around again towards Lily.

Surina eyed James about to grab it from under her teammate's arm. She drew up and over James with a speed that threw him off balance. His eyes darted towards the handsome, stark Slytherin girl who was now in front of him, wedged securely between her fellow Slytherin Chaser and her opponent.

"Wow, she's ballsy, that one!" Harry exclaimed, his playful, green eyes darting for a split second towards Hermione and Severus.

Hermione was too enraptured by the intensity of the game to reply, but Severus glanced sideways at Harry with an unreadable expression on his hard face. Though Harry did not know what exactly to make of it, he knew that his former Potions professor was hardly in bad spirits. Severus said nothing and quickly returned his attention to the match.

Lily was prepared for the oncoming goal attempt. She rounded on the Slytherin Chaser as the ball spun towards the highest goal post and smacked it against her broom with such force that it nearly hit Surina in the face as it swooped past her. Surina ducked just in time to avoid being struck. The Gryffindor section hooted and hollered Lily's name several times.

As the rest of the players turned round to chase after the Quaffle, Surina took a fleeting moment to stare down her sister with utmost contempt. Her red lips sneered at Lily and quivered, something Lily recognized as a trait of their father's, and the absolute scorn written on the second year's face was unmistakable. Lily, however, shrugged, stuck up her nose in response, and returned her sister's glare, showcasing a rare display of disdain.

Surina turned around and flew off towards the other end of the field, not chancing another glance back at Lily, innately focused on retaking the Quaffle from the Gryffindors, who were about to score. Just as James released the ball into the air, Surina sped forward and reared around sidelong, snatching it with one arm before it reached the Slytherin Keeper. She made an instant circle and charged away, leaving James dumbfounded before readjusting his focus and flying off after her.

"Oh, c'mon! That was so close!" Ron screamed, as he and Harry hollered in protest.

"You sure Surina shouldn't be a Seeker instead?" Ginny joked, eying Hermione and Severus with her amiable countenance.

"I don't think my nerves can take this," Hermione grumbled, clenching her jaw.

Harry chortled next to his wife, keeping his eyes on the match. "Hermione, you've always been like this when Lily plays. You're just going to have to get used to it with Surina, too. It's just a game. Remember all the times I got banged up? And I'm still here!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and placed a comforting arm around her friend. "Ignore him," she muttered irritably.

Surina reached the goal post in seconds, her eyes staring at them with unflinching concentration. Lily was prepared too, and watched as Surina drew back once again to throw. Then her brow furrowed to see her sister's pale face hesitate. The rosy hue in Surina's cheeks vanished and her eyes widened in alarm, as if she had seen a ghost. She looked like she was about to say something, but there was no time for the Gryffindor Keeper to inquire or even react.

Lily felt herself being thrown from her broom. Her body was flung helplessly in the air for a moment as she flailed her arms madly and tried to reach for the broomstick that her body was no longer bound to. Her eyes looked below her to see that it was completely severed in half, with wooden splinters cascading every which way towards the ground.

The whole spectacle was, for Lily, like witnessing it in slow motion; only she was the one in peril, not one of the spectators. The entire stadium erupted into waves of gasps at the sight of the unexpected Bludger that shot straight through Lily's broomstick, missing her back by a mere inch or two, before the broom snapped in half and left the pretty youth powerless in the air.

Severus, Hermione, Harry, and everyone in their row immediately shot to their feet, but the professor reached for his wand in one fell swoop before anyone else could get to theirs, including Hermione. He aimed it at his vulnerable eldest, his entire stance tense, but then Hermione seized Severus's arm to stop him.

In the midst of it all, Surina dropped the Quaffle and flew to her sister's aid before anyone else could react, thereby blocking her father's aim. She clutched Lily by the hand, almost missing her entirely as she began to fall, and struggled to hold onto her broom and her sister at the same time. She glanced down at Lily, who was dangling helplessly beneath her, her brown eyes expanded in horror.

"Hang on, sis!" Surina screamed, trying to pull Lily up, but then her broom gave a sudden jolt. At first, Surina thought it was she who had unconsciously moved her broom, but then it began to jerk this way and that, completely outside of her control. She, too, almost lost her balance, toppling downward before managing to catch herself.

"What the—" Surina gasped, as her broom displayed a mind all its own. She tried to regain possession of the instrument, but it would not react to anything she tried to do.

"What the bloody hell's going on with her broom?" Ron inquired with alarm.

"I - I think it's jinxed!" Harry cried, angling his wand in Surina's direction, but the sheer force being used against the second year would not allow him proper aim. What happened next made everyone's heart stop.

Lily let out a bloodcurdling scream as she lost wither grip on Surina's hand and spiraled towards the ground at a ferocious speed, her body contorting every which way. It was all too quick, too swift, for anyone to react. Her head smacked into the side of one of the goal posts with an alarming force. She bounced off of it, her body going limp, and continued to tumble downward.

"LILY!" Surina cried in terror, as her broom abruptly stopped moving.

"ARESTO MOMENTUM!" Severus bellowed, raising his wand as his daughter plunged towards the earth, almost reaching it by the time he gathered what was happening. Was he too late?

Lily halted, suspended for a moment in the air, before finally crashing onto the field with a loud thud. There were several faint cries and gasps from the crowd as Severus and Hermione made their way down the steps and onto the field, followed closely by Harry, Ginny, and Ron.

"Here, I'll take Jeannie," Ginny offered, taking the toddler into her arms so that Hermione could quicken her pace.

Hermione sped on ahead to catch up to Severus, who was already halfway across the field. Several players were now on the ground, with Madam Hooch hunched over Lily's unmoving body.

"LILY!" Severus shouted, emotion seeping through his rough, deep voice as he threw himself down next to her, his robes spreading out on the ground around them. Madam Hooch stood up and backed away, giving the Potions Master room.

Severus reached over and inched his daughter carefully onto her back, taking her limp frame into his arms and examining her over thoroughly, as James and Hermione reached his side at the same time. James's normally handsome smirk was gone, replaced by fear for the friend he had witnessed falling to the ground. When Ginny and Harry reached the students and teachers that were gathering around Lily, they drew their son back to give Severus and Hermione some space.

"My god..." McGonagall rasped as she reached the throng of people, clutching her hand to her chest. "Severus, is she all right?"

Hermione dropped down beside her husband and ran her hands over Lily's face, but the pretty girl did not stir. Her eyes were closed and unresponsive to her or Severus's touch. Some blood trickled onto Severus's robes from behind her head, and a few students let out small cries of distress.

"Lily!" James gasped, trying to get closer, but Harry pulled him back.

Surina pushed her way to the front of the crowd and gazed down at her older sister, who just moments before had been flying about on her broom harmlessly, in a heated competition with her. The attractive, somber-looking Slytherin took a step closer, scanning her parents' worried faces as Lily remained still in Severus's arms. He took his hand to her forehead and whispered something under his breath, no doubt some incantation to awaken the unresponsive youth.

"Is she all right?" Surina whispered, biting her lip.

"No," Severus muttered after a moment, breaking his concentration, "she has a terrible concussion."

Hermione took Severus by the arm, her fingers digging into his coat. "We have to get her to the Infirmary! Now!"

Severus nodded and quickly gathered his daughter into his arms. As he got to his feet, however, he winced, and a soft cry erupted from his mouth that he tried to subdue, to no avail. Hermione reached out and, without thinking of the attention it might garner, grabbed Severus around the waist, trying to steady him as he struggled with his balance, a startling sight that did not go unnoticed by the people surrounding them.

"Severus," Hermione breathed, too low for anyone else to hear. "What's wrong?"

Severus groaned in response and would not meet her eyes. Harry reacted instantly and brushed past a few students to offer his assistance, but Severus immediately shot him down before he could so much as open his mouth.

"I've got her, Potter," Severus declared, taking a moment to catch his breath and gather his strength. His complexion was ashen, almost blue, and he was overtly struggling to maintain a grip on the dead weight in his arms.

Harry's green eyes searched Severus suspiciously, looking him over before prodding, "Are you sure, Severus? I don't mind—"

"I have her," he insisted. He ignored the help and walked away, even though every step was a strain. The crowd quickly parted to allow the professor to pass through.

Hermione sighed in defeat, not wanting to argue, and reached for Surina's hand. She led her quiet, second eldest away from everyone as they followed Severus and Lily off the field in haste. Harry and Ron, Neville Longbottom and McGonagall, and countless Hogwarts staff and teammates watched them leave in stunned silence.

Jeannie, however, suddenly squirmed in Ginny's embrace. Ginny tried to console her, but the little one was not interested. She tried to break free as Ginny fought to keep her calm.

"Lily! Daddy! I want to go!"

"Hush," Ginny soothed, as Lily Potter peered up at her mother and struggling friend, confused. "We'll see them in a little bit, Jeannie. Don't worry. It's all right, sweetie."

"No!" Jeannie whimpered, her doll face contorting in anguish. "I have to go! Lily! Daddy! I want Daddy!"

Ron leaned in curiously and tried to brush Jeannie's curls out of her wet eyes. It was very unlike the carefree child to be so emotionally distraught. She was always so happy whenever Ron saw her.

"It's all right, Jeannie. I know it was very scary, but your sister is going to be fine. Don't worry, kiddo. Aunt Ginny's got you."

Jeannie, however, began waving her arms, desperate to get away. Ginny, Harry, and Ron stared at her in shock as the little tot began to wail, her voice echoing over the stillness of the Quidditch pitch.

"NO! I need to go! Lemme go! Daddy! DADDY! I WANT DADDY!"

A/N #2: And the plot thickens...
- 17
- 18
- 19
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Unquestionable Love